The Local Government Committee takes evidence from Housing Minister Kevin Stewart on building and fire regulations and then on homelessness
MSPs quiz education ministers during portfolio questions
The Scottish government gives a ministerial statement on air quality
MSPs debate Paisley's 2021 UK City of Culture and Dundee's 2023 European Capital of Culture bids
SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth leads a debate on the Levenmouth Rail Link
Image source, bbcHousing Minister Kevin Stewart
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says he and the ministerial working group will look very closely at all the recommendations from the committee.
That concludes the first evidence session.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says he took the decision in May to reappoint local authorities as verifiers.
Mr Stewart says he was not entirely happy with some local authorities which is why they were reappointed for one year.
The housing minister says he will review this going forward.
He says if he does not reappoint a local authority after that year he may not turn to the private sector.
Mr Stewart says he may look to neighbouring local authorities in this case.
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Image source, bbcLabour MSP Elaine Smith asks the housing minister about the use of clerks of works to improve building standards.
Ms Smith asks if this could be addressed during the procurement process.
The housing minister says there is separate work going on in procurement.
Mr Stewart says local authorities who use clerks of works have had the least problems.
He says it seems to him that having an experienced clerk of works is spending to save.
Mr Stewart says he met with apprentices who told him that they had not considered the construction industry at school.
The housing minister says it would be good to get the construction industry into schools.
He says this worked with the oil and gas industry when there was previous shortages.
Image source, bbcHousing Minister Kevin Stewart
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says it is disappointing that it is the smaller building companies that have more apprentices than the larger construction companies.
Mr Stewart says a conservative estimate says 10% of the workers in the construction industry are European, and in one site he visited the percentage was 70% and he says it would be disaster if they were to leave.
Tory MSP Alexander Stewart says that is a very valid point about the EU nationals.
Green MSP Andy Wightman says private owners are not necessarily checking all the cladding.
Mr Wightman says the remit should include institutional knowledge for future generations.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says he will reflect on that point but cannot make any promises because there is a lot of work to be done.
Mr Wightman asks for Mr Stewart to come back with more information on the building database.
Mr Stewart says he will provide detail of this in writing.
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Image source, bbcGreen MSP Andy Wightman
Green MSP Andy Wightman asks about the remit of the two working groups announced today.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says he has announced the chairs today but says he wants to meet with them before outlining the remits of the groups.
Earlier the minister announced two leading experts as the chairs of the two groups that will take forward the review of building standards.
Professor John Cole will chair the review of enforcement and compliance and Dr Paul Stollard will chair the review of fire safety in building standards.
Mr Dodds says the government has shared draft remits with both chairs.
Image source, Getty ImagesMr Stewart says this is intensive work and, in the main, local authorities have responded well.
Bill Dodds from the Scottish government says the working group is looking at new regulations such as introducing sprinklers to schools.
Mr Dodds says students accomodation and hotels will also be part of the work taken forward in the future.
"We are absolutely convinced that sprinklers have a role to play," he says.
Image source, bbcScottish government head of building standards Bill Dodds
Scottish government head of building standards Bill Dodds says not all buildings are structurally sound enough to take the retrospective fitting of sprinklers.
Mr Dodds says the installation of a sprinkler system would require a building warrant.
He says the ministerial working group is focusing on the priority areas.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service assistant chief officer David McGown says research is going on to target the most vulnerable.
Mr McGown says the service is quite keen on water suppression systems but wants to target their use.
Nichola Rutherford
BBC Scotland
Image source, Getty ImagesNew figures obtained by BBC Scotland reveal the effect sprinkler systems have on fire safety in Scottish tower blocks.
Fifteen people have died and more than 480 have been hurt in high-rise fires in Scotland since 2009.
But the BBC has learned that just one of those casualties was injured in a flat fitted with a sprinkler system.
The findings have led to renewed calls for the fire suppression systems to be retrofitted in older tower blocks.
The Scottish government said Scotland has "stringent building and fire safety regulations" but added that a "thorough and critical review" of those was being carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
The data on sprinklers was obtained from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in response to a freedom of information request.
Tory MSP Graham Simpson asks if the witnesses have seen the sprinkler report on the BBC this morning.
Mr Simpson asks if this has given the minister any thoughts on sprinkler systems and safety.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says that all this information will be looked at and considered by the ministerial working group.
David McGowan from Scotland's Fire and Rescue Service says the figures for that BBC report were provided by the fire service.
Mr McGowan says that there are 40-45 fire deaths per year and those have been in steady decline.
He says that it is tragic that 15 people lost their lives in high-rise fires since 2009 but, to put this into context, this is out of around 360 fire deaths in total.
Image source, ReutersAt least 80 people are believed to have died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London
In July we reported that a type of cladding said to have been used on Grenfell Tower had been found on a small number of low-rise schools in 14 Scottish council areas.
Checks were being carried out to ensure that the type of aluminium composite material has been fitted in accordance with building regulations.
No Scottish local authority-owned school buildings above 18 metres have ACM cladding.
The findings emerged during a meeting of a Ministerial Working Group.
SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth asks about the data on buildings that the government requested.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart says local authorities and others have been asked to gather data on their estates.
He says this was extended to other public buildings such as schools.
Bill Dodds from the Scottish government says it has been an ongoing task for the working group and the UK government process is being followed.
Mr Dodds says it became apparent that the level of detail local authorities held was sometimes extensive and sometimes limited.
He says this is when the minister decided that an inventory was required.
Remedial work is to be carried out at Bainfield Halls
In June we reported that repairs had been ordered to a Scottish university's halls of residence after it was found to have the same cladding as the Grenfell Tower block in London.
Edinburgh Napier University said the cladding was used on about a quarter of the external walls at Bainfield Halls.
However, it said there were non-combustible insulation materials behind the cladding, and that other fire prevention measures are in place.
The fire service said it was carrying out a full audit of the building.
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Committee convener Bob Doris
Committee convener Bob Doris says all social rented high rises in Glasgow don't have this type of cladding.
Mr Doris says those properties are safe.
Housing Minister Kevin S All social housing in Glasgow are free from this materia.
Them minister says all 32 local authorities have reported that no cladding used in Grenfell is on any social housing in Scotland.
Mr Stewart says the government also has responsibility to change legislation if required.
The housing minister says regulations are tighter here than elsewhere in the UK but that he is not complacent on that.
He says the 2003 Act itself is a good piece for legislation in that it allows regulation to be changed on the advice of experts quickly.
Mr Stewart says in the past regulations have been changed quickly which is why Scotland's regulations are more robust than elsewhere.